I have my assignment for Thanksgiving: potato casserole. That is for stop No. 1. For our second stop, my guy Joe is making oyster casserole from the November Gourmet.

ELLIS LUCIA / THE TIMES-PICAYUNEVolunteers separate donated goods to be distributed at The Food Bank of Covington.The magazine describes it as an "ethereal bread-crumb pudding packed with plump, perfectly cooked oysters."

That is why I love Thanksgiving. It's beautifully simple: You cook. You eat. You give thanks for family, friends and the bounty on your table.

Then you watch as the Raiders try not to get annihilated by the Cowboys. And then you eat again.

That is, if you are fortunate, as I am, to have plenty. Of course, not everyone does. This holiday season, in the midst of a "jobless recovery," more and more South Louisianians are struggling to feed their families and to keep them sheltered.

As you get ready for your own feast Thursday, you can make sure that your neighbors don't go hungry this holiday season.

Even a few dollars can help. A single dollar donated to Second Harvest provides four meals, and $25 pays for 100.

That isn't much to sacrifice, is it?

Second Harvest of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, which covers 23 parishes, serves roughly 63,000 people every week through more than 200 food pantries and soup kitchens. As the economy worsened over the past year, demand spiked. To make matters worse, the state slashed funding to food banks in this year's budget.

So individual contributions are more important than ever. To donate, go to Second Harvest's Web site at http://www.no-hunger.org/ or call 504.734.1322.

It is a tragedy for anyone to be hungry. It is especially heartbreaking on the day when we give thanks for our blessings.